Process control networks, such as those used in chemical, petroleum or other processes, generally include a centralized process controller communicatively coupled to one or more field devices which may be, for example, valve positioners, switches, sensors (such as temperature, pressure and flow rate sensors), etc. These field devices may perform physical control functions within the process (such as opening or closing a valve), may take measurements within the process used in controlling the operation of the process or may perform any other desired function within the process. Process controllers have historically been connected to field devices via one or more analog signal lines or buses which may carry, for example, 4-20 mA (milliamp) signals to and from the field devices. Generally, the process controller receives signals indicative of measurements made by one or more field devices and/or other information pertaining to the field devices, uses this information to implement a typically complex control routine and then generates control signals which are sent via the analog signal buses to field devices to thereby control the operation of the process.
More recently, there has been a move within the process control industry to implement field-based digital communication within the process control environment. For example, the process control industry has implemented a number of standards including open digital or combined digital and analog communication protocols such as the HART®, PROFIBUS®, WORLDFIP®, Device-Net®, and CAN protocols. These digital communication protocols generally enable more field devices to be connected to a particular network, support more and faster communications between the field devices and the controller and/or allow field devices to send more and different types of information, such as information pertaining to the status and configuration of the field device itself, to the process controller. Furthermore, the standard digital protocols enable field devices made by different manufacturers to be used together within the same process control network.
Also, there is now a move within the process control industry to decentralize process control and, thereby, simplify the individual process controllers. Decentralized control is obtained by having field mounted process control devices, such as valve positioners, transmitters, etc., perform one or more process control functions using what are typically referred to as function blocks or control blocks. The function blocks may communicate data across a network structure for use by other process control devices (or function blocks) in performing other control functions. To implement these control functions, each process control device typically includes a microprocessor having the capability to implement one or more function blocks as well as the ability to communicate with other process control devices using a standard and open communication protocol. In this manner, field devices can be interconnected within a process control network to communicate with one another and to perform one or more process control functions to form a control loop without the intervention of a centralized process controller. The all-digital, two-wire network protocol now being promulgated by Fieldbus Foundation, known as the FOUNDATION® Fieldbus is one open Fieldbus communication protocol that allows devices made by different manufacturers to interoperate and to communicate with one another via a standard network to effect decentralized control within a process.
Tuning of any control block or control loop in a prior art system is fairly simple because the entire tuning routine can be stored in the centralized controller or field device. When tuning of a control loop of such a control routine is desired, the separate tuning block within the controller or field device forces the appropriate control block, such as a proportional-integral (PI) or proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control block, through a tuning procedure like an induced oscillation procedure, to determine predefined characteristics of the process or the loop. During this dynamic data capture phase of the tuning procedure, the tuning block collects data generated by the loop, which is being delivered to the control routine per normal operation, and determines from this data one or more process characteristics, such as the ultimate gain, the time constant, etc. of the process. Once the desired process characteristics are calculated, the tuning block applies a set of rules or other algorithms using the calculated process characteristics to determine new tuning parameters for the control block or control loop. This step is, commonly referred to as the rule application phase of the tuning procedure. Thereafter, the tuning routine delivers the new tuning parameters to the control block (or control loop) and the tuning procedure is complete. Because, in a centralized process control system, all of the control functions are located within the controller and all of the data necessary for tuning is provided to the controller during normal operation of the process, the tuning block has direct access to the control blocks and to the data required to tune the individual control blocks.
Decentralized process control systems, in which control blocks or control elements, such as PI control elements, PID control elements, fuzzy logic control elements, etc., are located in a distributed manner throughout a process control network, are harder to tune because the control blocks are located away from the controller or field device where the tuning block is typically stored. Decentralized process control systems generally communicate in a scheduled or synchronous manner to implement specific control functions associated with the process control routine. During the periods in which synchronous communication is not occurring, other information, such as alarms, set point changes or other diagnostic signals (e.g., tuning signals), may be communicated in a non-scheduled or asynchronous manner. However, a tuning control block configured to communicate in an asynchronous manner is unable to send a deterministic tuning signal to a field device and to receive a deterministic response signal from a field device because the controller or field device must use asynchronous communications to implement the tuning functions. In particular, because the tuning signal is communicated in an asynchronous manner, the controller has no way to detect when the tuning signal is actually received by the field device or when the corresponding response signal is generated, thereby preventing strict control over the timing of the tuning procedure and increasing the likelihood of inaccurate tuning results.
In one known prior art system for implementing tuning in a distributed process control network, the entire network is reconfigured and taken off-line to perform the tuning procedure. In this configuration, the tuning procedure is performed using synchronous communications while the specific control functions are suspended. In another known prior art system used for implementing tuning, the entire tuning routine is placed within the same device as the control block to be tuned (such as the PID function block) and, in fact, may actually be incorporated into the functionality of the control block. While this system is able to control the timing of the tuning procedure precisely and to collect data at any desired rate (up to and including the speed at which the control block is executed), the tuning routine must be compiled along with and at the same time as the control block, which increases the overhead (e.g., the timing, processing, memory, etc. requirements) associated with the use of the control block during normal operation of the process, even though the functionality of the auto-tuning routine is used relatively infrequently during normal operation of the control loop. Furthermore, a complete auto-tuning routine must be placed within each different device in which a control block is located in order to enable auto-tuning of each control block, which adds unneeded redundancy to and increases the cost of the process control system.